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Ploppz

Member

Registered: 2013-09-14

Posts: 313

[Solved] Alsa does not work

After a long time of using Pulseaudio, I disabled it (because I want to use Jack) but now Alsa won't work.

$ aplay -D default test.wav
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1099:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
aplay: main:828: audio open error: No such file or directory

Then when I put this in my .asoundrc file:

pcm.!default {
    type hw
    card 1
}

ctl.!default {
    type hw
    card 1
}

I get this output instead:

$ aplay -D default test.wav
aplay: main:828: audio open error: Device or resource busy

Last edited by Ploppz (2018-07-28 09:43:53)

Ploppz

Member

Registered: 2013-09-14

Posts: 313

Re: [Solved] Alsa does not work

After a reboot, I can actually play music with mpd fine! But still I have some strange behaviour:

$ aplay asdf.mp3
Playing raw data 'asdf.mp3' : Unsigned 8 bit, Rate 8000 Hz, Mono
aplay: set_params:1339: Sample format non available
Available formats:
- S16_LE
- S32_LE

And when running the same command while mpd is playing, I get: "aplay: main:828: audio open error: Device or resource busy"... cannot Alsa play back two sources at the same time?
Firefox is not making any sound at all, not even when no other sources play.
Edit: I suspect maybe I'm just not using aplay correctly but that does not matter to me, so the problem remaining is no sound from firefox

Last edited by Ploppz (2018-07-27 19:09:51)

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,345

Re: [Solved] Alsa does not work

cannot Alsa play back two sources at the same time?

Sure...   Using Pulseaudo ad/or Jack

---

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Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
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Ploppz

Member

Registered: 2013-09-14

Posts: 313

Re: [Solved] Alsa does not work

cannot Alsa play back two sources at the same time?

Sure...   Using Pulseaudo ad/or Jack

Hm ok. I definitely want to use Jack. Is this suited for daily 'normal' usage (not just "audio workstation work")? E.g. mpd, firefox, games, whatever playing sound seamlessly like with Pulseaudio.

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,345

Re: [Solved] Alsa does not work

I've only played with it.  I am not an audiophile, so my needs are simple.  Jack worked well, but it seemed to have more overhead than did PA -- and was a lot more complicated to configure.

---

Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
---
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

seth

Member

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 61,131

Re: [Solved] Alsa does not work

cannot Alsa play back two sources at the same time?

Sure...   Using Pulseaudo ad/or Jack

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ad … cture#Dmix

Of course the best solution is to have a HW mixer, it's beyond me why HDA doesn't require that…

"aplay" can btw. not play mp3 files, but only PCM strams (it's not really a "music player" or so and notably cannot handle any codecs)

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Ploppz

Member

Registered: 2013-09-14

Posts: 313

Re: [Solved] Alsa does not work

Ok thanks! I found out that I can use PA + Jack, so I will do that instead.